In the Darkness
by ThickerThanLove
Summary: An inner monologue of Baby Ribbon, when she first arrives in Tambelon, in The Return of Tambelon. Please R&R!


In the Darkness

_My Little Pony characters are not mine but belong to their respective owners. This is my version of a possible inner monologue by my favorite character, Baby Ribbon, in Part One of **Return of Tambelon**. This monologue is my own work but the script from the episode, brief as it is, is property of the original writer, Michael Reaves and is properly noted. It is in italics._

            Mama was gonna play with us today! Lots of the other adults were too. Hide and Go Seek too! My favorite game! It just stopped raining days ago. I think mama felt bad for us having to stay inside so this was to make us feel better. Mama hardly ever played with me. I didn't care why.

            _"We hide and you go seek!"_

            Paradise smiled at me. She was one of my favorite adults, almost like an auntie in a way. She told the best stories. And she never got tired of telling them. Mama and the others grew tired of the same stories over and over but I didn't know why. Still don't. If a story's good, it's good!

            _ "Very well, but remember you unicorns. Winking Out is against the rules."_

            I giggled. I knew that! Every unicorn knew that. Wasn't fair for my earthling friends. If I winked out, they got mad. 'Sides, I needed Mama to get all the way back!

            Paradise covered her eyes,

            _"1,2,3."_

            I giggled and so did the others before we ran away. I was gonna find a great hiding spot, Paradise would never find me. I dove into the bushes. But I frowned. Everyone else had a better spot. Danny even climbed up a tree. I could have done that! No…not with my stupid winking. 'Sides, Mama would get mad. She didn't like me going so high.

            I jumped out of the bushes and saw it. A hole in ground. I could fit. I was small enough. I giggled, I would be the last to be found this time!

            But when I pushed my head it, I yelped. Two huge white teeth were down there! And then something knocked me back. I was in the open!

            _"Oh no! Paradise find me for sure!"_

            I looked around, everyone had taken the good hiding places. And Paradise…

            _"9, 10. Ready or not, here I come!"_

            No! I was gonna lose again! Paradise stuck her head over the hedges. No! I closed my eyes and winked out.

            _"Hey! No fair! Baby Ribbon winked out!"_

            No, I didn't mean to. It was an accident!

            _"Baby Ribbon."_

            No, it was Mama. She was gonna yell at me in front of everyone. But I couldn't wink back in. Not without Mama. I'm sorry, Mama.

            _"You know winking out is against the rules. Now wink back in this minute."_

            I was trying! Mama, help me! I can't do this! I'll never be able to do this! I didn't even mean to wink out! It just happened! Please don't be mad, Mama.

            _"I didn't mean to."_ I hoped Mama would hear that I was sorry.

            I heard Mama giggle a little. Yeah! She wasn't mad. Mama _wasn't_ gonna yell!

            _"It's okay. Wink all the way back in so we can get on with the game."_

            Now I knew Mama wasn't mad. But why wasn't she helping me? She always did! 

            _"I'll try." _But I needed Mama. I couldn't do this by myself! Mama…help me! I was halfway in and halfway out! Fix it, mama. Fix it! It didn't hurt. Tickled! I giggled. Danny said something. But it was hard to hear…like I was covered in pillows.

            _"She has such trouble winking back in."_

            Were they all watching me? Mama, why aren't you helping? I don't wanna be here anymore! Half of me here and some of me somewhere else!

            _"Come on Baby Ribbon, wanna play s'more."_

Why Baby Lickety Split? Baby Gusty would have helped me back in. She just wanted to play. Me too, but if I could have I would have been back already! 

            _"Come on, Little One. You can do it."_

            Mama. She wasn't gonna help. She wanted me to do it. But I couldn't do it…but Mama said I could Mama knew everything. I closed my eyes and focused.

            When I opened them, I was standing in front of mama. I beamed up at her. I was all here!

            _"I did it!"_

            Mama didn't say anything but she smiled at me. Then she looked at Paradise with a smile. The was afraid. Was Paradise mad 'cause I ruined the game? I turned.

            "Okay, let's start over. I'll be it again."

            I giggled. Yeah! Back to game! This time I wouldn't _have_ to wink out.

            "1, 2."

            I had me the best idea. The pool. Sea ponies swam there; they could help me hide! I'd win for sure! I held my breath and jumped in.

            But I hit something. Next thing I knew, I was back on the shore.

            "Do you mind?"

            So much for that idea. But did the sea pony hafta yell like that? Wasn't my fault I hit her head. 

            "Ready or not, here I come."

            Not again. I ran and saw a rock. I didn't think it would work. But I could wink out again. I ran behind it, tried to crouch as low as I could and closed my eyes. 

            "Someone's hiding behind that rock. And I think it's…Baby Ribbon."

            Not again! She _did_ see me. Next thing I knew, I winked out.

            But this time I winked right back in. She couldn't get mad at me fro that. I stood up and then I saw…

            "Where…where am I?"

            I was lying down. This wasn't dirt. But it wasn't Paradise Estate. Or the nursery. This was stone, not the floor of the Estate. I stood up.

            "Eek!" spiders! Cobwebs. I hated bugs. Icky things! I don't know how long it shook my head to get them out. But then something snapped. It wasn't a snap like I hear in Cupcake's kitchen. When it's in her kitchen, it's friendly snap. This was scary. 

            I didn't like this place. It looked like someone had coated it with flour. Misty…like a great big fog blanket. And the buildings gave me chills. Towers were crooked and looked old. And just the shape looked like something the witches did. 

            The witches…did they do this? Why?

            Did I do this? My winking out…did I do something wrong? I couldn't wink out again…I didn't know where I'd end up.

            "See! There! Get her!"

            I turned. Three shadows started to me. They had sharp sticks. I ran. 

            "Mama! Mama!"

            "Your mother isn't here."

            I turned a sharp corner. "MAMA!"

            Nothing answered me except that I could hear those…things getting closer. Closer! I was losing the race. 

            Mama…I wanted Mama. She'd protect me. She'd get me out of here. I didn't wanna be here! This was like one my bad dreams.

            Yes! That was it! I was dreaming. I had to be! Any minute I'd wake up and Mama would make it all better.

            I ran into a corner. Yes, I was dreaming…I had to be…please…

            Something hit my horn. It was dust. I looked up. Something moved in the dark window above me. I backed up. What was it? Was it another one of those things…

            I screamed. 

            Twin pairs of red eyes stared at me. I threw myself to the ground and covered my head. I didn't wanna see. I didn't wanna hear. I didn't wanna have anything to do with here.

            I heard a scream, not mine. I looked up. Those eyes jumped out at me. I screamed again. Get off me! Leave me alone!

            Two more pairs of eyes, squirmed over me. I threw my head. Get them off. Leave me alone!

            A clamp of feet. Those things…the things with the sticks, they were back. Did they see me?

            I backed up. They walked by me. They'd come back. They were looking for me. Why? What did I do? Did I do something wrong? What? What had I done?

            Tears filled my eyes and I curled up tight. It made me feel safer. Smaller, I was easier to hide.

            "Mama…where are you? Come get me Mama….I'm afraid."

            She didn't come. Mama _always_ came! Always! Even if I was in the nursery. The door would open and Mama would run in and make my dreams better. Make the bad dreams go away. Why wasn't she coming? She didn't  leave me! She never would! I just…maybe she was near. I had to wait.

            Soon, Mama would come soon.

            She didn't.

            I was alone. Alone in the darkness and…and all I could so was cry. I wanted to go home. Home, where I was safe. Where Mama would make everything all right again. All the eyes would go 'way. Mama would make them go bye bye.  Where Auntie Gusty, Fizzy, Buttons, Galaxy, and Mimic were. They would make me laugh. Everybody would be happy. I would be happy. Happy and safe. 

            But Mama wasn't here. And I was alone, by myself. No one was gonna chase these things away. I couldn't. I could only cry.

            So that's what I did. 

            In the darkness, I laid down and cried.


End file.
